Comments on: Feeding the Christmas Cake…

By: sharon

sharon — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:50:49 +0000

After baking my christmas cake it was uneven and a little burnt on top so I sliced the top off to make it straighter so it will be easier to ice nearer christmas… have I made a mistake….will it still keep until then?
Sharon

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:01:57 +0000

Didn’t ice it, just tied/stuck some red organdie ribbon around it to pretty it up.

Okay, verdict? It’s brilliant. A slight bitter taste, I suspect from the remaining alcohol that didn’t have time to soak in properly, due to me making it so late and absolutely saturating it to try to catch up. Still very good. Moistness? Very high. Brilliant

Next Christmas – or even sooner! – I’ll make it early so I can leave it to sit and be fed for at least a couple of months and compare. And maybe try that chocolate ganache!

Thanks again!

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:13:32 +0000

Rits–I’ve just posted the recipe for Hettie Potter’s Mincemeat above. It’s not too late to make it at all–in fact, I need to replenish my jar, too

Jonathan–you must let me know how it tastes when you cut it! And yes, a chocolate ganace would work much better with a chocolate fruitcake, but I think you could still just about get away with it!

(The advantage of not icing the cake, however, is that you can scoff much more of it without feeling too guilty!)

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:08:34 +0000

Hey Angela, I’ve just made my first fruitcake from this recipe, and it looks like it’s turned out marvellously! I left it terribly late, but even so, it looks and feels wonderfully moist already!

I have never seen muscovado in the supermarkets, so I used normal brown sugar instead, and added a couple teaspoons or so of treacle.

I don’t think I’m going to ice it at all, the family’s not too big on marzipan, and I’m running slightly short on time anyway. And I’m not convinced on a chocolate icing with a fruitcake.

Can’t wait to cut into that first slice!

By: Rita

Rita — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:20:54 +0000

Can you give us the recipe you prefer for Mincemeat please? Even if its too late for this year, you made it sound absolutely compulsory!! MUST make it now!

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:02:09 +0000

Nice to hear from you, Sharon!

Traditionally you should make your Christmas cake in the middle of October. (The Christmas pudding should be made on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent.)

I use about 2 TBSP of brandy at each feeding.

Nigella Lawson has a recipe in How To Be A Domestic Goddess for a Christmas cake ‘iced’ with glace fruits which looks quite nice. You could, I suppose, make a dark chocolate ganache (using at least 70% cocoa solids chocolate) and perhaps decorate that with white chocolate leaves?

I’m a marzipan/icing girl, myself, so I don’t have many suggestions–sorry!

You could make your own marzipan which would be less sweet and fresher than readymade. If you do make your own, it’ll take a couple of days longer to dry out than readymade.

Hope this helps!

By: sharon

sharon — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:55:48 +0000

so when would you normally make this and then how much would you add for each soaking, always 4 tbsp each week? And do you have any other ideas for icing it besides the marzipan and icing? Or could you use proper german Lubeck marzipan? or would that be too rich? I just hate the thick hard marzipan over here.

btw it is great seeing you back again, I have never said hello before but it was your blog that kicked started my interest in cooking a few years ago!

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:32:35 +0000

Mind? Of course I don’t mind, Glenna! I’m thrilled that I’ve inspired you and I hope that you like the results when you finally get to cut it

By: Glenna

Glenna — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:51:18 +0000

Angela, I hope you don’t mind but you were mentioned a few times on my blog–you inspired me to bake my own first Christmas cake! Of course, made a lot of substitutions…hmmm…still…all in all I hope it’s a flattering mention to you.